The Raw and SmackDown tag team titles will finally be unified. The Usos accepted the challenge presented by RK-Bro on Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown.
Randy Orton and Riddle vs. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso was originally scheduled for WrestleMania Backlash. A six-man tag team match also featuring Drew McIntyre and undisputed world champion Roman Reigns put the winners take all match on ice. RK-Bro campaigned for the two-on-two match on Monday Night Raw but did not wait around for an answer. The Raw tag team champions crossed the line into Bloodline territory to get an answer out of The Usos.
Friday's episode of SmackDown also featured two championship matches: Sasha Banks and Naomi vs. Natalya and Shayna Bazler for the women's tag team titles, plus an impromptu SmackDown women's championship match pitting Ronda Rousey vs. Raquel Rodriguez.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
The Usos accept RK-Bro's challenge to unify tag titles
RK-Bro opened the show and demanded to speak with Reigns. It was Sami Zayn – wearing a Bloodline shirt – who answered the call. Zayn insisted he would speak on behalf of The Bloodline as the self-proclaimed locker room leader. Zayn claimed that no one wanted to see a tag team title unification match. Orton agreed that Zayn was a locker room leader and insisted that Zayn should book a match between Zayn and Riddle. Should Riddle win, RK-Bro will receive a tag team title unification match against The Usos. Zayn agreed but promptly exited the ring, stating these things take time to put together. Authority figure Adam Pearce interrupted, stating that he could not clear Zayn to compete on The Bloodline's behalf. Zayn would, however, immediately face Riddle in a one-on-one match.
Riddle def. Sami Zayn via pinfall after crushing him with a fall-forward piledriver. Riddle took the fight to Zayn early and often but Zayn found his own moments of offense with timely counters. Riddle rattled off a Pele kick, mid-air knee and a corkscrew Asai moonsault during the match. Zayn notably landed a Michonuku driver.
The Usos, sitting with Reigns and Heyman backstage, expressed their frustrations with RK-Bro disrespecting them and Reigns despite their victory at WrestleMania Backlash.
Zayn later pleaded with Paul Heyman later in the evening. Zayn insisted that he was the only one standing up for The Bloodline and defending them from Raw's tag team champions. Heyman assured Zayn that "The Tribal Chief" appreciates Zayn's efforts.
Reigns, in the evening's closing segment, insisted that he and company had already smashed through RK-Bro and that nobody is left. The Usos, on the other hand, have a challenge waiting for them. Cue Orton and Riddle, who made an amusingly inappropriate joke, before belittling The Bloodline. The Usos accepted the challenge for SmackDown next week, insisting that the trio would have six champions between them. Riddle caught Reigns with a surprise flying knee before promptly exiting the ring with Orton.
A fantastic episode of SmackDown from start to finish. It was a bummer for WWE to postpone the tag team title unification match; however, the company quickly remedied things by booking the match for next week. RK-Bro and The Usos – with supplemental bonuses to Reigns and Heyman – have been nothing short of superb on the stick. Orton continues to deliver some of the best microphone work of his career. He parodied Reigns' maligned ex-catchphrase "Believe that," measured Reigns to John Cena and made an inappropriate joke perfect for the Attitude Era of WWE. Zayn's supporting role in this rivalry is also refreshing. WWE superstars often go months without crossing paths despite being in the same building week after week. The alliance between The Bloodline and Zayn is an important piece of world-building that connects SmackDown's superstars together. Riddle and Zayn also put together a solid match that got us away from the RK-Bro vs. Usos mix-and-match of weeks past. Grade: A
What else happened on WWE SmackDown?
- SmackDown women's championship: Ronda Rousey © def. Raquel Rodriguez via pinfall after rolling up Rodriguez with the small package. Rodriguez dominated most of the match with her power moves and strength advantage. They shook hands afterwards. Rodriguez answered a championship open challenge proposed by Rousey.
- Shotzi demanded a match from Pearce. Aliyah interrupted and they both argued about who deserved to compete.
- Happy Corbin crushed Madcap Moss' throat with a steel chair and the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal trophy. Corbin laughed as medics attended to Moss. He was stretchered off.
- Women's tag team championship: Boss and Glow (Sasha Banks and Naomi) def. Natayla and Shayna Bazler via pinfall after Naomi countered Natalya's sharpshooter with a cradle. Banks and Naomi successfully defended their women's tag team titles.
- Gunther attacked Drew Gulak backstage after intercontinental champion Ricochet gave Gulak words of encouragement.
- Butch def. Kofi Kingston via pinfall after landing the Bitter End. Sheamus attacked Xavier Woods, distracting Kingston and setting up the finish.
WWE SmackDown results: RK-Bro vs. The Usos winner-take-all tag team championship match set for next week - CBS Sports
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